


Helping Out

by Talullah



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2014-08-25
Packaged: 2018-02-14 15:31:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2197059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talullah/pseuds/Talullah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A messy office.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Helping Out

**Author's Note:**

> 15minuteficlets Word #132: tidy. fanfic100 prompt 016. Purple.
> 
> [Disclaimer/Blanket Statement](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Talullah/profile)

_If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what then, is an empty desk?_  
\-- Albert Einstein

 

People made assumptions, that's the way it was, had always been, and always would be, Erestor knew it. That didn't made it less annoying. Every time that he heard the same tired old words coming out of a new mouth, or worse, from some previously chastised mouth, he felt like slapping someone silly.

This time he drew a deep sigh instead and ignored Lindir's observation about the state of his desk and the contrast it presented with the expectations held for a councillor. Lindir, however, went on. He was a good friend and a good elf but not the brightest kind. One would assume artists would be very sensitive to their surroundings and to other people... but that was the problem with expectations - they didn't quite work that way.

He decided it was time for another tongue lashing when Lindir came to the point of offering him some help to clean up his desk.

"Dear friend," he started with a huge smile, "I don't put order to those filthy scores of yours and you don't put order to my desk, are we understood?"

Lindir raised and eyebrow and smirked. "My scores are clean and in perfect order."

"And there is order in my apparent chaos. Respect it and we'll get along. You don't hear Elrond complaining that I don't perform my tasks adequately, do you?"

"No, but I'm sure this whole office would look a lot better without patches of paper covered with purple ink in every horizontal surface, ground included." Lindir sounded complacent and that irked Erestor further.

"Yes, if you hadn't offered me that hideous purple ink last Yule I wouldn't have to use it, would I?"

"Humpff." Lindir's eyebrows connected for an instant, but his frown melted into a grin and then true laughter.

"I think we had this argument before, didn't we?"

"Yes." Erestor laughed too.

"Ah well, I suppose we'll never make a tidy person out of you. You do have some bursts of tidiness once in a while, don't you? Where do those come from?"

"The 'P' word. Why do you suppose I keep all this paper?..."

"The 'P' word? I'm betting that's not for paper..."

Erestor sighed. "No, not for paper. The truth is that putting order to the chaos is my favourite way of relaxing and preparing for the more unpleasant tasks."

"So it's procrastination, then." Lindir sounded amused.

"Quite so."

Lindir smiled sympathetically. "Each to their own my friend. I, myself, tend to clean and tune all the instruments in this house when I'm putting off. I won't be bothering you anymore on this, rest assured. He reached out a hand and squeezed Erestor's shoulder and winked. "Nothing like putting off, eh?"

 

_Finis  
December 2005_


End file.
